The present invention pertains to a receptacle carriage, dispenser and discharge device and more particularly to a device of this nature which forms a portion of a mobile unit used in harvesting fruit, for example. The mobile unit may be comprised of a tow vehicle carrying a boom, operably carrying a device for dislodging fruit, oranges for example, from grove or orchard trees, and a conveyor trailer, hitched to the tow vehicle and including means to catch the fruit dislodged from the trees and to convey it onto a conveyor carried by the trailer for discharge into receptacles, sequentially positioned, as needed, relative to the rear end of the trailer conveyor.
A frame, which may comprise the rear end portion of the trailer, carries a substantial plurality of stacked, nested receptacles thereatop. An arrangement of slide members, operated by a fluid operated means such as a pair of coacting hydraulic cylinders wherein piston and piston rod assemblies support the stack of receptacles in a position for sequential discharge of the lowermost receptacle onto a lower frame in a position to receive the fruit deposited on the trailer conveyor. The piston rod is interconnected with the lower frame in a manner whereby proper sequential operation of the piston rod between retracted and extended positions lowers the lower frame to deposit a receptacle filled with fruit onto the ground and, after the mobile unit is advanced a distance beyond the filled basket, raises the lower frame and simultaneously drops the lower receptacle from the stack into position on said lower frame for reception of the fruit from the trailer conveyor, which is stopped during the transfer of receptacles.
This sequential discharge of filled receptacles and dispensing of empty receptacles into a position to receive the fruit progresses in a very rapid order as the harvesting operation progresses along the rows of trees in a fruit grove or orchard.
Therefore, one of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a receptacle carriage, dispenser and discharge device which forms a portion of a mobile unit used in a harvesting operation, for example, of fruit of the citrus variety.
Another principal object of this invention is to provide a device of this nature which carries a substantial plurality of stacked, nested receptacles thereatop;
A further object of the invention is to provide means to selectively dispense the lowermost receptacle from the stack into a lower supported position to receive fruit from a conveyor which is carried by a trailer, attached to a tow vehicle.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide means to selectively discharge a filled receptacle from the device.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide operating means, interconnected between the receptacle dispenser means and a lower support means, whereby the receptacles may be sequentially dispensed into a position on said support means for filling purposes and discharged in a filled condition.